“It's Not 11 Speed or Eagle, but Do You Need That Really?”

I made the switch to 10 speed a little over a year ago ( I know a bit behind) and purchased the XT cassette for a couple of reasons; fits on 9 speed hubs, light weight, and is upgradeble with extender cogs. Installing the cassette was quick and easy and only required a chain whip and the correct cassette removal tool. I will say though, be careful when taking the cassette out of the packaging for the first time. Being that the cassette disassembles it is easy to get different cogs and spacers out of order if you are not careful.

Being disassembled you can see how the cassette comes apart into many pieces, but these many Read More »

Overall Review:

I made the switch to 10 speed a little over a year ago ( I know a bit behind) and purchased the XT cassette for a couple of reasons; fits on 9 speed hubs, light weight, and is upgradeble with extender cogs. Installing the cassette was quick and easy and only required a chain whip and the correct cassette removal tool. I will say though, be careful when taking the cassette out of the packaging for the first time. Being that the cassette disassembles it is easy to get different cogs and spacers out of order if you are not careful.

Being disassembled you can see how the cassette comes apart into many pieces, but these many pieces make the cassette easy to upgrade with extender cogs from OneUp and Wolf Tooth. Being able to upgrade the cassette brings up one of the downsides of the cassette, the highest cog is 36 teeth. While 36 teeth can get you up most of the time, on a 1x setup I have found it 's still not enough on longer and steeper climbs.

Overall I have been very impressed and the cassette has worn great! It shifts as smoothly today as it did brand new. If you are are upgrading to 10 speed or replacing a 10 speed cassette I would highly recommend this one. Not to mention you can pick one of these up for a little over $40 most places.

“Great range and great performance”

The Good:

resonably priced, ramped teeth help shifting

The Bad:

racers will want a tighter cassette with smaller jumps between gears

Overall Review:

Though it has been out for a few years, Shimano's 11-36 cassette is a game changer for those who are looking to minimize the front chainring set-up. The extra spread in gears allows mere mortals like myself to power up climbs and still bomb the downs with just a single ring in front.

Shimano drivetrain parts usually means durability and quality, and this is no exceptionafter a couple of years of abuse.Hopefully this trend continues and we'll seea range like 10-38 teeth take hold in the mainstream offerings from the big drivetrain players.

Overall Review:

Though it has been out for a few years, Shimano's 11-36 cassette is a game changer for those who are looking to minimize the front chainring set-up. The extra spread in gears allows mere mortals like myself to power up climbs and still bomb the downs with just a single ring in front.

Shimano drivetrain parts usually means durability and quality, and this is no exceptionafter a couple of years of abuse. Hopefully this trend continues and we'll see a range like 10-38 teeth take hold in the mainstream offerings from the big drivetrain players.

Specifications

Riding Type

Material

Speeds

Tooth Options

Driver Type

Weight

Miscellaneous

Shimano's new XT-level 10-speed cassette specifically designed to work with a 10 speed drivetrain. Shimano developed Dyna-Sys with the goal of increasing rider efficiency. This means closer ratios, smoother shifts, and a more stable pedal stroke. Uses a two-spider construction on the largest six cogs for lightness and rigidity Available in 11-32, 11-34, or 11-36T Alloy lock ring 10 speed Compatible with 8/9 speed freehub bodies Use with 10 speed chain